2013 Mopar Nationals Features Dyno Showdown (Video!)

The 33rd annual Mopar Nationals went off without a hitch (if you can overlook a little rain) at National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio. The event took place August 9-11 and included plenty of racing, showing, and a swap meet - as well as an insane, horsepower-packed Amsoil Mopar Muscle dyno competition.

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Twenty-six cars participated in the second annual showdown, which was divided into four classes: Naturally Aspirated, Power Adder, Diesel Trucks, and Outlaw. Competition was fierce as all kinds of beastly Mopars performed through the rain to put down some pretty impressive numbers.

Look for the January 2014 issue of Mopar Muscle on newsstands soon and of course, stay tuned for details on all of the impressive competitors right here on moparmusclemagazine.com.

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View our teaser video here!

Naturally-Aspirated

1970 Plymouth GTX - David Raver (Waterford, Pennsylvania)

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David Raver found the beautiful GTX you see here in 1992 in North Carolina, in need of some serious TLC. Over the next two years, the car saw a complete restoration and a little bit of modification. The car was painted by Steve Sissom in Erie, Pennsylvania, and David restored the interior himself. A 440 cubic-inch powerplant with 3.75-inch stroke lies under the hood with Edelbrock aluminum heads and intake and a Speed Demon carburetor, all paired with a manual transmission and Hurst shifter.

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Horsepower: 325.55

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Torque: 367.78

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T – Lance Baldwin (Brodhead, Kentucky)

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Lance Baldwin and his father, Johnny, built this Challenger in their garage - everything from the engine to the PPG Lamborghini Orange paint. The car has been in the family for over 35 years and became a father-son project a few years ago. After being home to a 383, and then a 440, the car now houses a 505 cubic-inch engine bored to 4.38-inches and stroked to 4.25-inches, complete with Comp Cams hydraulic flat tappet camshaft, Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum heads (ported and polished by Lance) and an Edelbrock Performer intake, among other goodies. A mighty Demon 800cfm carburetor sits atop the powerplant, and TTI headers flow to Dynomax bullet mufflers making the beast roar. Performance Transmission in London, Kentucky built the automatic transmission with slap stick shifter and a TCI 3,500-stall torque converter. Fifteen-inch Weld Draglites wrapped in Mickey Thompsons keep the Challenger planted firmly on the ground.

The first thing that might catch your eye about this '73 Charger Rallye is the gold metallic paint job done by its owner, Tom. There's much more to it than that, however. Under the hood sits a 1973 360 bored .030 over with a 4.00-inch stroke - a 408. It features Mahle forged pistons, and a Comp Cams XR286HR-10 cam, along with Edelbrock RPM aluminum heads. A Moroso oiling system and MSD ignition components, along with Hooker headers round out the list of modifications. The engine was built by Midwest Engine Tech in Moleity, Illinois and is paired with a manual 833 transmission. The interior has remained all original on the relatively low-mile (52,493) car, which Tom and his wife bought in November 2009.

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Best quarter-mile time: 14.12 @ 104 mph (street tires)

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Horsepower: 349.46

Torque: 369.31

2010 Dodge Challenger - John Bretz (Erie, Pennsylvania)

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John Bretz bought this red Challenger when it was brand-new in 2010. He has kept it almost completely stock - save for a Flowmaster exhaust system and 87mm throttle body - and has put about 18,000 miles on the odometer since he picked it up, but has never taken it to the track. The 6-speed 5.7L Challenger (which John says is capable of an impressive 31mpg) was a stand-in for his '71 triple-carbed Road Runner, which encountered technical issues before the dyno showdown.

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Horsepower: 332.95

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Torque: 361.16

1969 Plymouth Roadrunner - Rob Garrison (Columbus, Ohio)

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When Rob Garrison bought this Roadrunner about 11 years ago, the rebuild began and has yet to come to an end. The Bahama Yellow beast features a factory fiberglass hood, and all the suspension remains stock. The interior is also all-original, and a 494 sits under the hood with Diamond pistons, Eagle steel crankshaft, and Comp Cams hydraulic roller cam. Ported Indy aluminum heads and an Indy dual-plane intake with Speed Demon 850 CFM carburetor complete the build, which is paired with a manual transmission. An exhaust featuring Headman headers and Warlock mufflers make the beast roar. The build was completed in Columbus, Ohio, by Rob and friends.

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Horsepower: 376.26

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Torque: 433.94

1967 Plymouth Satellite - Tom Jefferson (Erie, Pennsylvania)

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You might remember this '67 Satellite, now owned by Tom Jefferson, from the July 2004 issue of Mopar Muscle. It is powered by a 400 cubic-inch engine bored out to 492. The car has switched hands numerous times in the past few years due to health issues and divorce, and eventually ended up with Tom. The previous owners were responsible for the build and restoration which includes Edelbrock aluminum heads, Edelbrock 6-pack intake, and a Holley carburetor, as well as an exhaust, a new coat of Midnight Black paint and a full interior.

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Best quarter-mile time: 13.00 @ 121 mph

Horsepower: 376

1970 Plymouth Roadrunner - Lonnie Jefferson (Waterford, PA)

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This awesome Citron Yellow Roadrunner belongs to Lonnie Jefferson and his wife, and features a 440 cubic-inch engine bored .030 over with Ross pistons, a Comp Cams roller camshaft, and Indy aluminum E2 heads. An Indy intake and 950 Demon carburetor top the engine, and a 3-inch exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers makes the Roadrunner scream. The car is also equipped with a Turbo Action torque converter with a 3,500rpm stall speed.

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Right Stuff brakes slow the Weld wheels, wrapped in Mickey Thompsons, to a stop after 12-second quarter-mile runs.

Best quarter-mile time: 12 @ 117 mph

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Horsepower: 429.77

Torque: 393.85

2010 Ram 1500 4x4 Sport - Charles Taylor (Van Wert, Ohio)

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The only truck in the Naturally-Aspirated class, Charles Taylor's Ram 1500 is powered by a 5.7L Hemi engine that brought the heat. Most of the truck, which he bought new and fully-loaded, is original, but he has added a few upgrades, including an Arrington roller cam, Mopar cold-air intake, American Racing headers, and a Predator tune.

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The truck now has about 33,000 miles on it and is Taylor's daily driver.

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Horsepower: 360.10

Torque: 342.02

1972 Dodge Dart Swinger - Dean Darbee (Liberty, Kentucky)

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Packed with a 367 cubic-inch power plant, Dean Darbee's 1972 Dart Swinger is quite the head turner. The engine upgrades to the Dart include an Ultradyne solid flat tappet camshaft with .559/.570 lift and 247/251 duration at 0.050, as well as fully-ported Indy Brock aluminum cylinder heads. An Edelbrock Super Victor intake and Promax 820 sit atop the engine, and Hooker headers with Dynomax mufflers control the growl.

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Dean had the car restored all-around and built the engine on his own, making the Dart that much more impressive. The suspension has been overhauled and now includes 9010 shocks and Mopar Performance torsion bars in the front and 8 3/4 Super Stock springs at the rear. A Moser 3.91 gear and Moser axles reside in the rear as well, and Centerline wheels all around compliment the new B5 Blue paintjob.

Best quarter-mile time: 11.21 @ 119

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Horsepower: 360.69

Torque: 295.19

2003 Dodge Viper - Trey Davis (Louisville, Kentucky)

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Being the only Viper in our Naturally Aspirated class, we expected big things out of Trey Davis' 2003 Dodge Viper. With 505 cubic-inches of factory-spec power under the hood, the Viper's mighty V-10 produced some impressive numbers on the dyno, making it a strong competitor in the shootout. Trey has owned his Viper for two years after buying it from a woman off the internet. Not a bad purchase if you ask us.

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Horsepower: 432.16

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Torque: 465.61

Outlaw

1971 Dodge Dart Swinger - Chuck Lee (Shade, Ohio)

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Chuck Lee owns the awesome '71 Dart Swinger you see here. With 340 cubic-inches, bored .030-inch over, under the hood and a compression ratio of 12.5:1, Lee was a strong competitor in our showdown. A NASCAR crankshaft and Comp Cams camshaft, along with "J" cast heads and an Edelbrock intake are responsible for most of the movement, topped with a Holley 750cfm carburetor - and it was all built by Chuck himself. Double valve springs and roller rockers are also on Chuck's modification list, as well as a 727 automatic transmission, 8-inch torque converter with a stall speed of 4,200, and Cheetah shifter.

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Fifteen-inch Weld wheels look sweet against the Dart's blue exterior, painted by Keith Collins of Auto Image in Coolville, Ohio. Chuck has owned the car for about seven years, but says it only took about 2 weeks to get the car to where it is now.

A fiberglass hood, trunk lid, and bumpers have been utilized to lighten the car up a bit.

Best quarter-mile time: 11.7 @ 112 mph

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Horsepower: 317.96

Torque: 296.63

1965 Dodge Coronet - Jan Niceswanger (Newark, Ohio)

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Jan Niceswanger's Viper Red '65 Coronet was another of the four competitors in our Outlaw class. Under the fiberglass hood lays a 572 cubic-inch powerplant complete with Comp Cams roller camshaft, Diamond pistons, an Eagle steel crankshaft, Indy 426-SR aluminum cylinder heads, and an Indy Mod Man intake. Two Carter AFB 750 carburetors top the build. The chassis has quite a few upgrades as well including Caltracs leaf springs in the rear, a Strange S60 differential, 4:10 gears, and 40-spline axles.

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Horsepower: 564.82

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Torque: 469.54

1966 Plymouth Belvedere - Terry Brown (Canton, Georgia)

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Some of you might remember Terry from the coverage of the 2012 Amsoil Mopar Muscle Numbers Don't Lie Shootout. Basically, her '66 Belvedere is made up of a strong Mopar Performance Mega Block with 4.250-inch bores and Oliver 7.100-inch billet connecting rods, along with a 4.5-inch stroke Callies crankshaft and a set of CP pistons, resulting in a 511-inch Hemi monster. With Stage V heads, and an Indy Cylinder Head intake, as well as an 1160 Dominator, TTI headers, and a full-exhaust, the power she makes is certainly expected.

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Horsepower: 641.51

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Torque: 557.00

Power Adder

1971 Dodge Demon - Randy Holloway (Salem, Virginia)

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Packed with a 440 cubic-inch engine, Randy Holloway's '71 Demon brought the heat to the Power Adder class of our competition. Eagle H-beam rods, Keith Black pistons with a compression ratio of 8.2:1, a Mopar hydraulic roller cam, and a Flowmaster exhaust are really the only modifications, save for the Weiand 6-71 supercharger and twin Quick Fuel Technology 750 cfm carburetors of course.

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According to Randy, the body is 100-percent original steel, and the interior is still pretty close to original as well. QA1 coilovers in the front and rear, and Wilwood brakes all around make sure all that power can be used safely and comfortably.

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Horsepower: 319.4

Torque: 433.19

1970 Dodge Challenger - Larry Rose (Newburgh, Indiana)

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Larry Rose has owned this Sublime Green Challenger since he was a teenager and told us that he uses it for every day driving as well as the occasional Power Tour, which is pretty impressive in its own right. After being outrun by a Corvette on one such Power Tour, Larry and his son Braylon pulled the 440 Six Pack with FAST fuel injection and replaced it with something a bit more modern and powerful. Today it's packed with a 6.1L Hemi that uses a stock bottom-end and a Magnuson supercharger, all backed by a T56 Magnum trans. Completing the build are TTI headers, Magnaflow mufflers, and Reilly Motorsports suspension with QA1 shocks all around. Another super cool detail is the 2010 Challenger interior that Larry fitted in the car. All in all, it's a very impressive ride.

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Horsepower: 503.28

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Torque: 448.12

2010 Dodge Challenger R/T - Joe Infantino (Navarre, Florida)

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When Joe Infantino returned from Afghanistan and saw this 2010 Challenger for sale with only 2,200 miles on it, he knew that he had to have it. Now, almost three years later, the car has a new Arrington 5.7L under the hood with a forged rotating assembly, 86 pound fuel injectors, and a ProCharger running 10 psi. All of the work on Joe's sweet daily driver was done by Southern Hotrod in Kenner, Louisiana.

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Horsepower: 466.57

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Torque: 471.09

1997 Dodge Viper GTS - Jim LaRosa (Strongsville, Ohio)

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Jim LaRosa's Viper GTS proved itself to be the be-all and end-all of the competition. Built by Big 3 Racing in Hinckley, Ohio, the beast is equipped with a 503 cubic-inch stroker engine. There's no easy way to fully break it all down in a nutshell, but here goes nothing. The build includes: a factory crank, Pro-Gram main caps, ARP studs, Oliver billet rods, custom coated Ross pistons, Comp custom grind turbo camshaft, ported third generation heads with oversized valves and Jesel rockers, a stock third generation intake, 1400cc fuel injectors, three Aeromotive 340 lph fuel pumps in the tank, and an Aeromotive regulator. A twin turbo system is where the real power is harvested - two large custom-made air-to-water intercoolers, all custom piping, and Comp Turbo 7171 triple ball bearing, oil-less turbochargers (each capable of 900 horses). Amazingly, the car still has all factory amenities including air conditioning and a full stereo system. The engine is apparently run off of an AEM Infinity Stand-Alone EFI system, and the best thing about this Viper? It's 100-percent street driven.

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Horsepower: 915.21

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Torque: Definitely not 2258.60*

*There was apparently a glitch in our reading. On Big 3 Racing's dyno, the car produced 1,053 lb-ft - a much more realistic number.

Diesel

1995 Dodge Ram 2500 - Garret Struck (Webster, Florida)

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This torque monster is Garret Struck's daily driver, and it has an incredible 316,197 miles on the odometer. Although the Ram has only been his for a few months, he went head-to-head in our competition with a 360 cubic-inch engine paired with an automatic transmission built by Inline Performance of Bushnell, Florida. The diesel still possesses its stock turbocharger - well, actually, the whole truck is stock, save for an upgraded fuel system that Garret has pieced together.

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Horsepower: 235.30

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Torque: 548.50

2008 Dodge Ram - Travis Jefferson (Waterford, Pennsylvania)

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Travis Jefferson's 2008 Ram 2500 6.7L Diesel put on quite a show for us on the dyno. After buying it new in 2007, Travis got down to business installing a Banks Ram Air intake, 7-inch stacks, an H&S programmer, EGR delete kit, and TS Performance Stage 2 water/meth kit. He also added a BD intake with heater-grid delete, South Bend clutch, and Mag-Hytec differential cover. Nitto Dune Grappler tires and an SRT Viper Hood, along with Cummins Semi mud flaps and Recon LED lights make this beast look mean. The beautiful truck is more for show than anything, and has less than 5,000 miles on the odometer.

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Best quarter-mile time: 16 @ 91 mph

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Horsepower: 409.52

Torque: 911.69

1992 Dodge Ram 250 (Diesel) - Jack Irons

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The '92 Ram 250 pictured here belongs to Jack Irons and is powered by a stock 5.9L Cummins with a stock automatic transmission. A 4-inch exhaust and 3.54 gears in a Dana 70 rear end are basically the only modifications, and Jack brags that he gets 23mpg on the highway - not bad!